Key ring hook



June 21, 1938. w. N. MORRISON KEY RING HOOK Filed Oct. 4, 1957 PatentedJune 2l, 1938 UNITED STATES KEY RING Hoort` William N. Morrison, `LosAngeles, Calif.

Application October 4, 1937, "Serial No. 167,165

5 claims. (01.124443) My invention relates to a key ring hook and hasfor its principal object to provide a relatively simple, practical andinexpensive hook adapted to receive and hold in suspended position a keyring and said hook being provided with simple of construction`andarrangement of parts that will be hereinafter `more fully describedand claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a prospective viewwof my improved key ring hook and showingthe same applied to a belt.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of thehook` in position on a belt.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line of 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line l--il of Fig. 3 andshowing" the prong carrying member that secures the hook to a belt orarticle of clothing, in` retracted or open position.

The main body portion I0 of my improved key ring hook is formed in asingle piece from thin resilient sheet metal and said body comprises avertically disposed front wall end, from the lower end of which extendsupwardly a hook II;- that is adapted to receive and support a suspendedkey ring, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

Projecting rearwardly `or toward the front plate IU from the sides ofthe hook It, at the upper end thereof, are short ears I2 and normallypositioned between said ears and bearing against the rear face of theupper end of hook II is the lower portion of a narrow strip of metal I3that is cut from the intermediate portion of the front wall l0 and whichis bent outwardly to provide aresilient keeper that prevents the keyring from being accidentally disengaged from the hook.

To reinforce and add rigidity to the front plate I portions of the metaltherein to the sides of the resilient keeper I3 are pressed forwardly toform vertically disposed ribs I4.

From the upper end of the front plate I0 the metal forming the body ofthe hook extends downwardly immediately to the rear of said front wallto form a rear wall I5 and normally the lower "end of this rear wallbears against the lower portion of front wall I0, due to the resilienceof the metal from which the body is formed. The lower end of this rearwall I5 terminates adjacent the lower end of the front wall and fromthis point the metal is bent upwardly to form a secondary rear wall I5that terminates approximately midway `between the upper and lower endsofthe wall I5.

`Prongs I'l project forwardly from the upper portions of the said edgesof the secondary wall I6 andthese `prongs are positioned immediatelyadjacent the vertical edges of the rear wall I5 and when `the hook isapplied for use they project into the belt or portion of the clothingthat is positioned between the walls I0 and I 5, thereby rmly securingthe hook to the belt or clothing. The upper portion of the secondaryrear wall I6 normally flexes against the rear face of rear wall I5.

In order to eX the upper portion of the wall I5 away from wall I5 so asto bring the prongs Il to the rear of theopening between the walls IlandI5, as illustrated in Fig. 4 and thus permit the hook to be applied toor removed frorrr agbelt or article of clothing, a short lever I8 isprovided atoneend, `with a portion I9 bentat right angles to said leverand this bent portion extends through a horizontally disposed slot 20that is formed in the upper portion of secondary rear wall I6. Formedintegrally with the end of the bent portion -IQ and positioned betweenthe walls I5 and I6 is a plate 2I that occupies a position substantiallyparallel with the main body 4portion i8 of the lever.

When the lever is turned into position so that the plate 2I is parallelwith the walls I5 `and I6, the upper portion of said wall I6 liesimmediately adjacent the rear wall I5 and thus the prongs I'I projectforwardly beyond the side edges of wall I5, so as to engage the belt orclothingto which the hook is applied. Thus when the hook is properlyapplied to a belt' or article of clothing it is practically impossiblefor the hook to be disengaged from the belt or clothing until the leveris actuated to withdraw the prongs I'I from the belt or clothing.

To accomplish the withdrawal of the prongs from the belt or clothing inorder to permit the hook to be applied to or withdrawn from the belt orclothing, `the upper end of lever I8 is engaged and swung rearwardly anddownwardly,

thus moving the plate 2l into position at right angles to the walls l5and I6 and such action moves the upper portion of wall I6 away from walll5 and consequently withdraws the prongs l1 from the belt or clothingthat is positioned between the walls l0 and I5.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a key ring hook that isrelatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and veryeffective in performing the functions for which it is intended. Theentire structure is composed of only two pieces of thin sheet metal andthe device is very compact and in nowise interferes with the properfunctioning of the belt or clothing to which the hook is attached.

It will be understood that minor changes ini the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of my improved key ring hook may bemade and substituted for those herein shown and described, withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is setforth in the appended claims.

l claim as my invention: i

l. A key ring'hook comprising front and rear walls connected at theirupper ends, ahook projecting upwardly from the lower portion of thefront wall, a secondary rear wall projecting upwardly from the lowerportion of the rst mentioned rear wall, prongs projecting forwardly fromthe upper portions of the side edges of said secondary rear wall, therebeing a slot formed in the upper portion of said secondary rear wall, alever fulcrumed in said slot and a plate carried by the lower end ofsaid lever and positioned between said rear wall and said secondary rearwall.

2. A key ring hook formed from resilient sheet metal and comprisingfront and rear walls connected at their upper ends, a hook projectingupwardly from the lower portion of the front wall, a tongue out from theintermediate portion of the front wall, the upper portion of whichtongue is connected to the upper portion of the front wall, the lowerend of which tongue bears against the upper end of said hook, asecondary rear wall projecting upwardly from the lower portion of thefirst mentioned rear wall, the upper portion of which secondary rearwall normally bears against the rear face of the rst mentioned rearwall, prongs projecting forwardly from the upper portions of the sideedges of said secondary rear wall and a lever mounted for operation onthe upper portion of said secondary rear wall for moving the upperportion thereof away from the first mentioned rear wall.

3. A key ring hook formed from thin resilient metal and comprising frontand rear walls, means on the front wall for receiving and holding a keyring, a secondary rear wall projecting upwardly from the lower portionof the first mentioned rear wall, prongs projecting forwardly from theupper portions of the side edges of said secondary rear wall, whichprongs project past the said edges of the first mentioned rear wall, theupper portion of which secondary rear wall normally bears against therear face of the rst mentioned rear wall, a means mounted for operationon the upper portion of said secondary rear wall for moving the sameaway from the first mentioned rear wall.

4. A key ring hook formed from thin resilient sheet metal and comprisingfront and rear walls, means on the front wall for receiving and holdinga key ring, a secondary rear wall projecting upwardly from the lowerportion of the first mentioned rear wall, prongs projecting forwardlyfrom the upper portions of the sides of said secondary rear wall, theupper portion of which secondary rear wall normally bears against therear face of the first mentioned rear wall, a means carried by the upperportion of said secondary rear Wall for moving the same and the prongscarried thereby rearwardly with respect to the first mentioned rearwall.

5. A key ring hook formed from thin resilient sheet metal and comprisingfront and rear Walls, means on the front wall for receiving and holdinga key ring, a secondary rear wall projecting upwardly from the lowerportion of the first mentioned rear wall, prongs projecting forwardlyfrom the upper portions of thev sides of said secondary rear wall, theupper portion of which secondary rear wall normally bears against therear face of the first mentioned rear wall and a lever fulcrumed on theupper portion of the secondary rear wall for moving the upper portionthereof and said prongs rearwardly with respect to the first mentionedrear wall.

WILLIAM N. MORRISON.

